Education

HB 326

1.  Pre-Kindergarten

While the Governor proposes increases to Pre-K transportation and to "extended day" funding, the Governor proposes cutting Pre-K to half days - Read.

This is not the solution to "saving Pre-K."  Please read the Southern Education Foundation's Issue Brief:  "Half-Day vs. Full Day Pre-Kindergarten Programs"

The brief finds:

-  For the past decade, Pre-K programs nationally have moved towards expanding to a full-day program, not the reverse.

-  Full-day programs have a more lasting effect on a child's vocabulary, math and literacy skills.

2.  HOPE Scholarship/Grant

Based on the Governor's proposals for HOPE, disadvantaged students will have a harder time obtaining a college education.

Below are some of the highlights of the proposed cuts/revisions.  Please read the full article at ajc.com.

- Only students who have a 3.7 grade point average from high school will get 100 percent coverage of tuition under the newly created Zell Miller Scholarship. They must maintain a 3.5 GPA in college.

- All other students with a 3.0 GPA can receive scholarships equal to 90 percent of the 2010-2011 tuition costs.

- Students who have lost HOPE or the Miller scholarship will have one shot at reclaiming it. Currently, there's no limit on how many times they can try to reclaim it.

- Mandatory fees and books are no longer covered.

- Remedial courses will only be covered at technical colleges.

3.  School Drop-Out Prevention

SB 14 - Raising the age of mandatory education from 16 to 17; does not change the beginning age of mandatory education from six years of

SB 43 - Changing the age of mandatory education; mandatory education required between a child's fifth and seventeenth birthdays; changes both the beginning and ending ages for mandatory education

Foster Care

HB 23 - "Foster Children Psychotropic Drug Monitoring Act"

This legislation addresses the over-medication of children in foster care with psychotropic drugs.

Health Care

Georgians for a Healthy Future (Analysis of various health care bills)

Find out why selling out-of-state health insurance plans in Georgia under HB 47 is bad for Georgia consumers & patients.  Click HB 47 for a review by Georgians for a Healthy Future.

Immigration

HB 87 - "Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011"

HB 87 creates an environment of suspicion and fear between neighbors and between law enforcement and the citizens they have sworn to protect.  This is not the Georgia that we want to create for our children.

Juvenile Justice

"The Child Protection and Public Safety Act" (Children's Code Reform) -- Promotes restorative justice for Georgia's children.

Parental Nurture

"Flexible Sick Days"

UPDATE:  Legislation has been drafted and Representative Katie Dempsey is the bill sponsor.  This proposed legislation provides employees with the ability to use their existing sick days for the care of family members (child, parent or spouse).

HB 311 - "Parent Protection Act" -

Provides protected leave for employees to:

-  attend a medical appointment for the employee or the employee's spouse or child;

-  accompany an elderly relative to a medical appointment; or

-  attend a school conference for a child of the employee when the appointment or school conference cannot reasonably be scheduled during the employee's nonwork hours.